Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-28

lying in the port Of Honolulu. We left the
port in ballast only, ard were tf,o rlen short
OF our complement. Capt. Wheaton was a
BarEegat man, and the crew all ENGLISH
speaking people, ard for the first fortnight no
ship ever had better weather
At the end of the fortnight the fi,,e weather
vas broken by rousng gale. which struck
us during my night watch, and all hands had
TO be called We had hard time of il DIR
ing the first hour, and were finally compelled
to lie to, and it was while We were bringing
the ship to the wind that the captain was
washed overheard by heavy sea which
boarded Us. With him went one Of the
sailors, the hencoops. several spare spars and
bOoIns, and q lot OF dec!; ralfie, and by the
time the ship had shaken herself clear OF the
foam it was too late 70 render any assistance
Indeed, it was a serious question Just then
whether any Of Us would i've another half
hour. The storm did not break for nearly
twenty hours and the old ship was 80 strained
and knocked about that her life was ended.
The gale had scarcely abated when she began
TO leak faster than the pumps could throw the
water oUt, and on the seventeenth day Of the
VOYAGE we had 10 abandon her. When We
Rad been atioat for four DAYS in the opeu
boats We were picked up by the American
bark Yankee Boy, bound from Boston to San
Francisco.
On the 4th day of Sept, 1850, rs the Eng
fish whaling ship Lady Bascombe was near
ing the equator, being about midway he
tween the Marquesas group and the Galapa-
gos. and the tine being II O'Clock at night.
she was hailed from out OF the darkness. and
FIVE minutes later had CAPT. Wheaton
aboard lie had been aloat for three DAYS
and a half on a small but well constructed
raft, which was provided with sail, and had
carried him safely and buoyantly an estina-
ted distance of 120 miles. The captain was
in good health and spirits bur would answer
no questions until he had seen he captain Of
the Bascombo. The sailors knew that he
must have been wrecked, out that he should
be alone and in such seeming good health in
that dranry spot was a great mystery 10 them.
Capt Moore Of the Rascombe had heard Of
the loss OF the Starlight, end VIXEN CAPT.
y heaton introduced himself he created q biz
sensation. lie was at firs; taken for an i'm
I0stor; but ke had letters and documents in
his pocket 10 prove his identity at once.
That being settled, he told his story have
heard him tel it four o. five times over, and
can relate it almost word for word.
hen Capt. Wheaton vas swept overheard
be gave himself Up for lost. lie got but one
look at the ship and realizing that she was
driving away from him and he was beyond
rescue, he ceased swimming and hoped to
drown II once. Just then hcncoop Aoated
within reach, and in a second he changed his
mind and fastened to the hoaG he was
clear on The point Of floating al that day and
far into the night Then he lost conscious
ness. but lid not bet 90 Of his float He re-
membered nothing Vi the next day until
about an hour before sundown when he
opened his owes and came to his senses to lind
himself lying on the sands. his float near by
and the storm cleared away. He was stiff
and sore and bewiidered, and he cTa.yled fur
Their NJ the shore and went to sleep again.
and i was sunrise before he again opened
his eyes. Au hour later he knew that he was
On an island about three miles long by one
mile wide II was VOL wooded. containing
several spring; 81 f~esh water. and there was
an abundance OF Wild fruits ID sustain life
There WAS not an iuhabiranr or sign Of oua
nor did he find any living thing except birds
and monkeys.
Wheaton WAS not Only q good seaman, hut
n Wi educated and well posted man, and bo
had Saici on the Pacific for many wears
There was hardly an island IN that ocean
which he had not sci foot on and could rec
ognize by sight again. After hit he began
to figure on lis location. and he made ont that
he had been driven ashore on an unknown
and uncharted island lying very close to the
eG,iator, and IN longitude l2o degrees west
This put HIM midway, on a northeast and
southwest line, between the MarqueSas grnuu
and The Galapagos Islands. He had visited
both groups, and a. both we're inhabited at
that time he could not have been mistaken y,
his location had he gone ashore ou any enc Of
them. He found proofs satisfactory TO MIN
SELF that the island waS OF volcani, origin.
no. uysr-lG OF - wears ID. and that tho
luXuriaut Vegetation was due 40 The tropical
cilma,e. The birds. Of which there were
several species couid perhaps have floWu
there from some Of the otha~ Islands, hut now
the monkeys reached the spot Wat q puzzler
the captain I,sTcr C0r over. That he found
'em there was proved when he vas rescued.
there being Two pet animals on the raft
When the c3staWay came to walk around
his island h. found The wreck OF tho Scotch
brig Mcneil on the east shore, and the wreck
OF the California ship Golden Bar on the
west co@s.. Epcl crat.s had been reported
lost with n, on board two or three years he
fore. The ONE was 4 whalor ana the other
trader. The captain not only said be found
Them. but he had proofs again. lie had the
name board OF the shin ana some paUerS be
longing ~ Jle hsI-. lie found and buried he
s5nl, sens OF thirteen sailors. and among the
debris OF the wrecks he secured large
quantity Of clothing. considerable money,
some bedding. a iJt ot tools, ropes, boards
anl PLANS and within week ae began the
WORK OF building boat 10 enable kim to es-
cane.
I sllr2vs felt that The old man must nave
had jolly life OF II FOR TIE ten months and
over he was on what he called ~ heatons
Island. bUt ne dwell, on the fact }ha, il was
terribly lonely. II went harder with him,
because he had . wife and 81, children, and
BE knew that Cnsv would 6e mourning bis
death. lie found several barrels OF whisky
and 4 lot Of ;obascujn tie l.-un6or. but lie
was not content TO 81, stu ana enjoy himself
Ie nut in two months On his boat. and mad
list cot her finished vi,Hn . Storm ser in and
she broke her moorluEs and GV.iJai out 70
sea. Anxiety and exposure. aided by tie
WORRY about Tie FOLKS at home la!l the old
man on his back for several weeks, and re
probably had a close sail from slipping his
rabies. He got up slowly, and rs he had been
was:efUl with his materials, be found ,hat be
must turn to a raft If be ever got away. he
worked at it at odd hours, being Ill and
respondent, for several months, and when it
Wss finished he hesitaedt Ca'l month before
making start. hoping every DAY 20 sight a
sail He had signal flying h. day. and
almost every night ne kept L lire going, but
rescue never came.
One day. two weeks before be set ont on
hi voyage, the captain made great dis
c9very. n d rough wild pace in the center